AllEarth Solar Power Blog

A common concern for potential solar buyers in northern climates is snow: how effective are solar panels when it's snowy, and will they be efficient enough during the winter to be worth the investment? In areas with significant snow accumulation and inclement weather throughout the winter months, it might seem like going solar isn't an option. However, with the wide range of sophisticated solar technologies on the market, even people in the snowiest of climates can make the change to solar energy for their home or business.

The benefits of dual-axis solar trackers are clear, especially when it comes to maximizing power production: they are the single most effective way to increase the energy output of a PV system, with the exception of increasing project size. By consistently maintaining the optimal PV-array-to-sun angle throughout the day, trackers can improve a system's output by over 40% compared to fixed solar. While fixed systems rarely reach maximum power, the tracker maintains full power output from dawn to dusk.

When considering any investment in solar it is critical to look beyond the simple math of the installed cost of the system. In business, an investment is assessed not on the upfront capital expenditure but rather on the longer-term return on investment. In a similar fashion, when assessing the value of a solar installation, it is critical to look beyond the upfront installed cost and focus on the long-term energy production.

We’ve already explored the importance of maximizing power production in small commercial projects: without a clear understanding of how the project will perform (and pay for itself), you’ll never be able to get a project off the ground. Moving beyond the dollar-per-watt to focus on the project’s dollar-per-kilowatt-hour value is a great way to ensure that your project will create a long-term return on investment. The higher the production capacity of your system, the higher your return will be.